Fall Fitness

Have you heard the phrase, “September is the new January”? That one has been around for a number of years, and I remember noticing this about 15 years ago. As schedules change for many, whether they have kids heading back to school or not, many people feel the shift from vacation mode back to routine mode. They’re often looking for their fitness to be a cornerstone of this routine.

It is a time when I was working in a gym, we would see new faces in the fitness centre, and in classes.

I can feel it already, which is awesome! Some new folks are committing to life-coaching programs and others are ready to re-start their personal training. (cheering you on-you know who you are!).

This also correlates with something called the “fresh-start effect” and while to be honest, I am not a fan of something like a New Year’s Resolution, anything that kickstarts people into going after their goals, I am all for it.

The “fresh-start effect” states that we are more likely to tackle our goals on or around a time that feels like, well, a “fresh start” in the calendar, like a new season, a new year, the 1st of the month, or even a Monday morning. (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-43171-006).

So, let’s use the idea of the fresh start of Fall to get you thinking about your fitness if that is something you know needs a little more attention.

Consider these two ideas:

1) Do not wait until September 1st to start adding to your fitness activities. You need to start now.

Why? Well, you know Fall brings more “to-dos”, less downtime, and often a wee bit of chaos, right? So, what makes you think that THAT will be the right time to add another “to-do”? NOW is the right time to start building your habits and routines, so that they are already set come Fall. And remember, new habits and routines take a little bit of trial and error, right? So give yourself a bit of grace here to try out and tweak some fitness activities.

2) What DOES your fitness routine NEED to look like, and what CAN it look like?

>> The first part of that question, the “DOES”, speaks to the fact that we need cardio, strength, and mobility training. And the second part, the “CAN”, speaks to how much time you can and will be able to dedicate. It must be a blend of these two, that is, what you need to reach your goals and what you can actually give with the stage of life you’re currently in.

So, what now? Ask yourself, “What is the next step I can take in the next 24-48 hours to move me towards improving my fitness?”

If you’re a little stuck, message me (deanna@deannalangfordcoaching.com) and/or consider joining me for Lunch with a Life Coach, Wednesdays at 12pm est, a free informal life coaching session to help you get where you want to go healthier, stronger and faster.

Register here: https://www.deannalangfordcoaching.com/get-started

Cheering you on!

Deanna